Packers Free Agency Approach Now Makes Total Sense!

We now see how the Green Bay Packers do nothing free agency approach is playing out to perfection. Yesterday, the Packers were awarded a compensatory pick for losing two free agents last offseason.

A fifth-rounder!

The pick will be No. 167 overall and the Packers cannot trade it. The NFL awarded the Packers this bounty because they lost two free agents — center Scott Wells and quarterback Matt Flynn — last offseason, while only signing center Jeff Saturday.

But just think what that means this year! The Packers have lost Greg Jennings, Erik Walden and Tom Crabtree and they’ll probably lose a couple more guys. Meanwhile, they’ve signed absolutely no one who’s played for another team.

Ted Thompson, you are a mad genius!

Just think, that means the Packers might get a compensatory pick as high as, say, the fourth round next season. The fourth round!

Woooooooo! They will surely clean up then!

But let’s dream of what caliber player the Packers might get with that coveted fifth-round pick this year. Here are all of the gems Thompson has unearthed in the fifth round: Junius Coston, Mike Hawkins, Ingle Martin, Tony Moll, David Clowney, Breno Giacomini, Jamon Meredith, Quinn Johnson, Marshall Newhouse, Andrew Quarless, D.J. Williams and Terrell Manning.

And what’s with these abstruse statements by these credulous one-named posters? Notice how everyone on here posts under some type of a creative name but all those posts ever trying to support anything Illitarion ever says are all under the names of “joe” or “shawn” or “mike” — and it’s funny how that’s the “ONLY” time we ever hear from these people is when they show up to back up Illitarion.

Monty is making a very valid point that can’t be argued and that’s this team has gotten worse over the last three months. Make whatever excuses you want about Thompson saving money or not buying into free agency or cutting the fat — regardless of whatever excuses Illitrarion can conjure up the fact of the matter is that this team has gotten worse.

Thompson has lost Jennings (done nothing to replace hm), lost Crabtree (done nothing to replace him), lost Saturday (good riddance), lost Woodson (done nothing to replace him), lost Walden (done nothing to replace him). The offensive line won’t be getting any upgrades (except for Bulaga and Sherrod coming back from injuries), apparently DuJuan Harris and the injury misfits will be back on tour with the Pack in 2013, no efforts have been made to re-sign Shields — so that pretty much leaves Green Bay’s chances of improving this off-season through the draft?

That’s a nice concept to have especially since Seattle, Atlanta and San Francisco have all loaded up and gotten much better. I can name a half dozen teams with better offensive lines, better running backs and offenses than Green Bay right now and they all have superior defenses to what Dom Capers showed last season. And your answer to winning the NFC in 2013 is continue to build through the draft?

I guess if your complacent with being mediocre than this is a fine strategy cause this team ain’t winning in 2013.

On paper this team has taken a step back. What will make or break this season is how well the last 2 draft classes perform. It only takes a couple more Casey Haywards to step up. If there are 3-4 contributors that emerge then this team competes. There are more than a dozen 2nd and 3rd year players on the roster.

You could throw the last three draft classes together (let’s be optimistic and say everyone is healthy and has taking a step forward) and then throw a top tier 2013 class together.

You throw all that together and I still don’t think GB is a top 3 team in the NFC. No way the O-line improves that much and no way the run game (for the exception that TT drafts Lacey and thats not gonna happen) prevents defenses from playing safties 30 yards deep on Rodgers, and no way the defense improves that much.

I imagine you enjoy looking like an idiot so I’m going to give you what you seek.

San Fran lost Dashon Goldson. So, how have they “loaded up” again?
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San Fran dealt away their garbage in Alex Smith and ripped off KC with a 2nd Round Pick. They upgraded their already talented WR core and got Anquan Boldin. Who cares about his age, 65 catches for 921 yards is better than what Jordy Nelson did. I know your boy Thompson doesn’t do this — but when your kicker sucks, you cut him and that’s exactly what SF did with Akers, and they brought in an experienced FA with a good track record in Phil Dawson. SF lost Sopoaga and Ricky Jean-Francois and brought in Glen Dorsey — hey at least they did something. Signed LB Dan Skuta to join with the best LB in the NFL Patrick Willis, Navorro Bowman and Aldon Smith. They might have lost Golson but they at least signed “someone” — Craig Dahl and OH the 49ers have 14 DRAFT PICKS in 2013!!! I’d call that “loading up” for a team with a stacked running game, a good QB, good defense and a GM who made some moves this off-season instead of doing……well….nothing. And this is a a team who embarrassed Ted Thompson’s Packers in reasonable fashion. I don’t think you have anything else to say regarding what this team did this winter vs. us.

Atlanta just re-signed one of the best tight-ends to ever play the game, so we’ll count that as #1. They re-up’d their run game for a guy who is still pretty damn good and much better then say….DuJuan Harris. They re-signed Sam Baker as one of the better LT, DB William Moore and G Garrett Reynolds — hey it’s something for a team which now boasts Julio Jones, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, Matt Ryan and Steven Jackson. Not bad for a team that went 13-3, I’d say they got better over the off-season.

Seattle — well signing Percy Harvin is more of a move that Thompson has made in years. I’ll just leave it at that.

Excluding all those moves, each of those teams were better than GB in 2012 — how is it you see GB being a better team than them in 2013? When Green Bay has done “ABSOLUTELY” nothing to improve their defense or offense?? Not too mention their were already serious question marks on this team during the season namely of which on the O-line, on defense and in the backfield and nothing has been done to improve those issues.

Could not have presented the argument FOR Monty any better than this guy. To strictly improve your team through the draft and develop philosophy is as much fool’s gold as to try and win it all by signing an entire roster of high priced Free Agents to your roster. Both methods can not and will not sustain success, or as McCarthy puts it, stack success. Our coaches should win all the awards every year for having to put up with a roster that’s clearly deficient in areas when compared to the other “elite” teams in this division.

Let me spell it our clearly for you with an age old cliche…in life you generally get what you pay for. Or in the case of the Packers, you also get what you don’t pay for.

No rational person is saying PLEASE TED, overspend for the best Free Agents, rational people are value conscience as well and we want the best bang (haha) for the buck. Pun intended.

Good thing we don’t start the season next month! Otherwise, the Packers would be in trouble! Rut roh!!

Oh, I totally forgot about the draft. But nobody ever drafted amount to anything. It’s all about free agency, man! Paying up the nose for the left over trash of other teams is how you become a better team. And better teams win Superbowls, baby!

Anybody who writes for rotoworld or bleacher report has got to have a valid opinion! Afterall do you realize how fucking difficult it is to get a job writing for profootball.com or rotoworld.com??? My god, it’s like getting a job at Pierce & Pierce with Pat Bateman.

You’re not that smart. No one is buying this bullshit draft and develop deal anymore. It worked for a brief magical carpet ride Championship…oh wait, it didn’t because we won with fresh bodies after all of our drafted players went down with injury…that’s right. We got lucky and we rode momentum of a team with the right mindset and Super hot QB and now everyone says Ted’s theories are vindicated…bull shit. Cheap gets you nowhere in life. This is a business, not a charity. Start spending the hard earned money we put in to buy tickets, jerseys, bullshit stock certificates, etc.!

Just saw where the 49ers signed Phil Dawson to a contract. He was only 29 of 31 kicking in Cleveland!!! So what is Ted doing? I say at least sign a damn kicker. Crosby was 85% once, every other year under 80 and last year pathetic. Tynes is still available. A guy that can kick in cold weather from 50 yards and not miss by 17 yards wide left. Just a thought because with that schedule next season it could come down to a FG and I sure the hell don’t want that idiot Crosby trying.

Jennings is on the down side at a position where we are loaded.
Pay Jennings 9 mill/year, and then Cobb, Jones, and Nelson either want massive raises or they are pissed/leave.
Walden is only on the field cuz Perry went down. So we should have paid 4 mil/year for a backup? Colts were saps on that deal.
Woodson is a tough one emotionally. But you don’t pay guys on what they have done, you pay them on what they are going to do. And, hard as it is to say,,,when Chuck was on the field last year, it was clear that age had caught up to him. Example,,,Ed Reed cant get an offer for more then 4 mill/year, and you think we should have paid Chuck 10 mill…..c’mon man!

On avail Free Agents:
Cullen Jenkins,,,,on the downside
Chris Canty, did not pass physical when in town for Pack Free Agency visit.
Steven Jackson- mark it down now,,,,will not eclipse 700 yards rushing. 30 year old backs simply dont cut it in a young man’s game.

Check these ‘Free Agents’ coming back:
Desmond Bishop
DJ Smith(who will replace Hawk this year in starting)
Nick Perry
Brian Bulaga
Derrek Sherod
Devon House gets healthy
With this group, you know the personalities and know the capabilities. THey have been in your system learning for 1-3 years a piece. FAR LESS GAMBLING in expecting upside from these guys versus street free agents.

Final Note
Whenever a team ‘LOSES’ a free agent. They are CHOOSING to let that guy walk. The system generally lets teams keep their guys if they REALLY want to.
Teams know their own guys better then anyone else. And yet in 95% of free agents, teams let their guy walk voluntarilly. LOT OF FOOLS GOLD out there boys and girls.

During FA, we always feel like signing ‘a guy’ is going to make us better. I get caught up in it too. But, grass is not always greener by signing someone else’s castoffs.

If the Pack had no guys coming back that offer value, might seem logical to go after more free agents. But, a LOT of the areas needing improvement, are likely going to see improvement in the guys we are getting back.

It cracks me up. All the nonstop Ted bashing and FA analysis and this league still pretty much comes down to injuries and luck. San Francisco has been the most fortunate team the last 2 years when it comes to avoiding injuries. Seattle loses their leading pass rusher a week before barely losing to Atlanta. Ray Lewis pumps his body full of god knows what to repair a torn tricep and still needs the 2nd luckiest Hail Mary heave of 2012 just to make it to the championship game.

Draft only approach is fine with me. If these guys stay healthy and/or catch a few breaks they are as good as anybody in the league.

“Some say the Packers are losing ground to their free-spending NFL brethren. In reality, many of those opponents are simply trying to stay competitive with the Packers and mortgaging their future in the process.”

From recent Mike Vandermause column in the GBPG.

He also notes the Packers have the best record in the NFC since 2009 and are the only NFC team to make the playoffs the last 4 seasons.

Bravo. If these FAs were so good why didn’t their original teams resign them? We knew all season Jennings was going to go. Packers have a billion TEs and Crabtree was never going to be more than what he was. I’m STILL laughing at Indy and Walden! The Packers never “lost” a FA. They simply wouldn’t pay what another foolish team would and that’s the same this year. Let SF and SEA spend. That is really, really going to come and bite them in the ass in a year or two. Kaep and Wilson will not always be on the cheap if they perform over the next year or two.

“Thompson, in my opinion, has much in common with Baltimore’s Ozzie Newsome, the Giants’ Jerry Reese and Pittsburgh’s Kevin Colbert. None get very excited at the start of free agency. They wait out the early money-grab and wait for value players. It’s K-Mart shopping. And who’s to argue with them? In the last six seasons, those four general managers have won five Super Bowls.” – Peter King

Key word there is “my opinion” — doesn’t take much to have one of those these days as you well know Ilitarion.

Funny how Thompson gets grouped into a category with guys who have been to and won “multiple” Super Bowls. Multiple being the key word there. Thompson is going on his 9th season and has been to one. He’s one the NFC North a grand total of three times and has lost in the divisional round two years in a row and your bending over the sink for this guy.

How is Ozzie Newsome all the sudden one of the best GM’s in the league? Cause Baltimore got hot and went on a Super Bowl run then signed Joe Flacco to the most ridiculous contract in NFL history? Is that how one gets on the great Peter King’s list?

Does Bill Belichick not make the cut here — pretty sure he’s been pretty damn active in free agency and New England is the best franchise in pro sports. What about Mickey Loomis or John Elway for that matter??? Funny thing is all of these teams are in some way shape or form active in free agency.

Ozzie has been considered one of the best GMs in the league for a while now.

New England is NOT active in free agency. Go up and down their roster once. 95% of those guys were drafted by the team.

Belichick likes to pick up guys FOR CHEAP that other teams have given up on- Haynesworth, Chad Johnson, Talib- but that is about it. The Patriots haven’t made a big free agent signing since 2007, unless you somehow count Danny Amendola as one.

GMs don’t play the game. All a GM can do is assemble the talent good enough to win one. The coach still has to coach a good game and the players still have to play one.

TT could have 3 Super Bowls right now if Brett didn’t throw a pick against the Giants in OT, and Nick Collins didn’t go down in 2011. Shit happens. All he can do is make sure the Packers are in contention every year, and he’s doing that.

How is Ozzie Newsome considered one of the best GM’s in the game? Are you reading this over on bleacher report — you must be because it’s the only publication on the internet where I see someone is stupid enough to rank him #1.

Again GM’s who have been to “multiple” Super Bowls is the key word here. Since Thompson has been GM of the Pack, New England has been to the Bowl three times, Pittsburgh three times, New York twice, Indianapolis twice while Thompson falls into the one and done category with Arizona, Chicago, New Orleans and San Fran. The fact that he’s won his own division only three times since ’05 is also telling. But we should cut him some slack because he “should have” been to 3 if it wasn’t for this or that??? Come on Iltarion, your better than that. Bottom line is that he hasn’t been to another Bowl, case closed. He’s lost his own division more times than he’s won it, he’s gotten his ass handed to him more times than not in the first round of the playoffs yet you think this guy created the heavens and the earth because your absolutely fucking clueless.

If Thompson somehow turn this team into a success and they make another run and find themselves in the Super Bowl then I’ll shut my mouth about the guy — His “production” and on the field product will then speak for itself — but that hasn’t happened yet and I highly doubt it will. Until that point he’s no different from any other GM in the NFL. He hasn’t proven himself to be in that “elite” category with 1 super bowl and 3 NFC North titles in 9 years.

Belichick likes to pick up guys FOR CHEAP that other teams have given up on- Haynesworth, Chad Johnson, Talib- but that is about it. The Patriots haven’t made a big free agent signing since 2007, unless you somehow count Danny Amendola as one.
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AGAIN you prove your a fucking moron.

NE has signed signed Will Svitek, Leon Washington, Donald Jones, re-signed
Aqib Talib (a move GB should have made last year), Adrian Wilson (WOW, your telling me our defense couldn’t use him?????) and Danny Amendola ( Yes I count that). I guess the year before signing Brandon Llyod was nothing too, but how about trades New England has pulled off over the years compared to say……Thompson? How many successful trades has Ted Thompson made in 9 years?

Again, you continue to look like an absolute fucking moron time and time again.

These aren’t marquee moves by any means but the point is YOU CANT SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM THROUGH THE DRAFT. I don’t think an entire organization should rise and fall over Free Agency, not at all, but in order to fill gaps and solve problems you need to be active in some fashion to help plug holes whether that’s through trades, free agency or the draft. You have to be active and make moves. Case closed.

Not only that. It should have been a 4th. Either way, if memory serves, Josh Sitton, Marshall Newhouse and Davon House were all compensatory picks. I’d have to go look it up but I think the Pack had a few last year and it’s looking like it was a good draft.

No rational person is buying this bullshit draft and develop deal anymore. To build up your roster, moving down collecting bodies and fishing out the good and bad ones works for awhile but then you must spend some money in FA to sustain success–unless you draft at a 80-100% success clip every year, which absolutely nobody does. Plus, who wants to play for a franchise who’s motto is–if you’re a dollar more than the next guy, you’re too expensive? These are paid players, they don’t just play merely for the fun of it.

Ted’s philosophy works for a brief period of time. Sometimes magic carpet ride Championships can happen to with all those draftees…oh wait, it didn’t for us because we won with a shit load of fresh bodies after all of our “drafted” players went down with injury…that’s right. We got lucky and we rode momentum of a team with the right mindset and Super hot QB and now everyone says Ted’s theories are vindicated…bull shit. Cheap gets you nowhere in life. This is a business, not a charity. Start spending the hard earned money we fans put in to buying tickets, jerseys, bullshit stock certificates, etc.!

I can’t recall where I read it, but hopefully it helps you guys to understand TT, whether you agree or not with his approach.

Each spot on the roster has a slotted salary cap number. Each and every one. When they do a big deal with say Rodgers, all those numbers have to get adjusted – usually down – after he takes into account all the salaries already on the books. So when dealing with say Steven Jackson, he got above the slotted number and TT didn’t think it was that worthwhile to adjust all those other numbers for the one position knowing Rodgers, Matthews, and Raji were coming due.

Let me key you in on a little secret. Nobody hear gives a crap about salary caps and extending contracts. All they care about is the fact that Ted Thompson did nothing in FA and that means all they can look forward to is another year of winning the division and making the playoffs.

I think there is a middle ground. Again, I think most of us would agree that signing free agents every year to compete is not the best way to go. However, there are times when I think its necessary such as in the case with Steven Jackson. To me, that move would have been relatively low risk all around. Yes, maybe they would have overpaid a little, but who cares? Jackson still would only have made 4 million a year. They could have fit that easily after restructuring Hawks deal which they did. Basically, taking a risk now and then in free agency to fill obvious holes makes sense to me. This is why there is so much outrage. Its not because the Packers weren’t like the 2011 Eagles every year. Its because TT has a religious devotion to draft only logic. And this year it seems more like Wishful thinking.

I thought TT was a genius when the packers got to the NFC championship game in 2007. He rebuilt the team in such a short time. After the horrible 2008 season, I still believed in TT. I had no problem that he didn’t go after a lot of guys. However, the problem is now that the packers do have a team with glaring holes at running back. Everyone on the roster is in their primes. Rodgers, James Jones, Clay Matthews, Nelson, Finley, BJ Raji, etc. are never going to be better than they are right now. The chances of finding a long term RB in the draft, a position where most athletes do not lost long term, are not good. So what if Jackson only plays one more season? Hes better than Starks, GReen and Harris. Get someone on the team now who can contribute and worry about finding the next guy when the time comes. What is the point of looking in the draft? There’s going to be a draft next year. Jackson has never run for less than a 1000 yards in a season.

I agree with you there is a middle ground, and Teddy toes it. Jackson didn’t want to go to Green Bay, case closed, why sign someone who doesn’t want to play for you, you simply won’t get their max effort.

Look Stephen, I get your urgency but those of us who’ve been following this team for 50 plus years understand it’s not a year to year thing. You have to think long term.
I really, honestly believe so many people are butt-hurt and spoiled because the Packers are so fucking awesome year in and year out.
Rodgers has likely at least 5 years ahead right? So we bankrupt the system for next year? You’re a fucking fool.

And they’ve been to the playoffs 7 times and have the 5th highest win percentage in the past decade; that’s pretty fuckin’ awesome in this era of parity.

“These aren’t marquee moves by any means but the point is YOU CANT SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM THROUGH THE DRAFT. I don’t think an entire organization should rise and fall over Free Agency, not at all, but in order to fill gaps and solve problems you need to be active in some fashion to help plug holes.”

-Last year the Packers had 22 free agent acquisitions on their 53-man active roster. FACT.

“Fucking idiot.”

-You must have to file Chapter 11 each year to pay for window repair costs in your house.

Players improve year to year, folks. How often do players drafted by Thompson in the late rounds or in UFA end up as stars 2 or 3 years down the road? Who are GB’s top 4 corners? In order, Tramon Williams (UFA), Sam Shields (UFA), Casey Hayward (2nd) and Davon House (4th). This is a very deep position, and all four are high-quality players. Morgan Burnett, 3rd rounder. Josh Sitton, 5th or 6th can’t remember, same as Desmond Bishop. TJ Lang, 4th rounder. The players that will improve this team next year were drafted last year and/or the year before. Young guys I like to take a big step this year: Mike Daniels, Dezman Moses, Alex Green, Jarrett Boykin, DJ Williams.

UNDER TED THOMPSON — are we all counting now? — Green Bay has been to the playoffs five times not seven. The topic is on Ted Thompson, not what the organization has done over the past decade. 5th highest winning percentage — holy shit, fuck the Patriots, Steelers, Giants and Colts the Packers have the 5th highest winning percentage in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL — holy shit man. That really brings in the titles.

We already established the fact you can’t count, so I’m going to have to call your bluff on that one.

Is that really the best insult you can come up with? Surely you can think of something a little more creative than that. C’mon man — if your going to insult someone at least try not to embarrass yourself in the process.

Yup, the Packers have only been to the playoffs five times under Ted Thompson, in seven years. Gee willikers, that’s horrendous!

“5th highest winning percentage — holy shit, fuck the Patriots, Steelers, Giants and Colts the Packers have the 5th highest winning percentage in one of the weakest divisions in the NFL — holy shit man. That really brings in the titles.”

-Apparently it does, how many SB appearances and victories do these teams have over the past 10 years? 12 and 8, respectively; those 5 teams account for 60% of the SB appearances and 40% of the victories in the last 10 years (The Pats and Giants also made it once each in two preceding years).

-The Colts have had a worse division than the Packers for decades, it’s just starting to approach equality; the Steelers division is no better (Two good teams and two bad), and any sensationalist such as yourself could easily claim the Redskins, Eagles, and even Cowboys are junk.

By the bye, you should stop insulting people, especially so contumaciously; it make you look frivolous, unintelligent, churlish and utterly ignominious. At the very least try being creative in your personal attacks; have some pride in your work, man.

TO SHAWN – Hey Shawn, in case you missed it, and knowing you — you probably did.

According to you Ted Thompson has been to two Super Bowls? Right?

Well he was hired by Green Bay on Jan 15, 2005 and the Seahawks didn’t reach the god damn Super Bowl until Feb 5th, 2006 so how the fuck does that work?

OOOPS!!!!!

You take after Iltatrion well. If your going to try and prove points make sure there valid. And don’t throw some garbage out to me about how Thompson helped them do this or that — BLA BLA BLA we was VP of Football Operations and left the organization a year before they even got there.